Synopsis: Without a doubt, the Amazon Echo and its younger brother Amazon Echo Dot are two of the most innovative products of the 21st century. Together, they have proven that human voice can surpass touch technology when it comes to handling smart devices.

AI is the future folks! With the introduction of sophisticated devices such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod, touch technology will soon be old fashion. All you have to do is speak out the voice command and ask for information. But, the big problem is they are expensive!

The solution is here – The Amazon Echo Dot. The Echo Dot is a smaller version of the Amazon Echo. This unique device features a condensed design and powerful functions that made the Amazon Echo so famous. And the best part is it retails for $49.99, whereas the price of the Echo is $150.

So without wasting much time, let’s get into the details.

Design

The appearance of the Amazon Dot resembles with a hockey puck or a canned fish. It features a minimalistic design, comfortable to accommodate in any corner of the room. At an inch and a half in height, the Dot is much smaller in size than its predecessor. The Echo is inbuilt with a large speaker, and not everyone needs that. You can connect the Dot with external sound devices using a 3.5mm jack or Bluetooth.

I tried it with my hi-fi music system and the sound booms through the room. The seven microphone array inbuilt in the system can detect your voice from a significant distance and provide accurate answers. The Dot, however, doesn’t include a volume ring. Instead, it has two additional buttons for volume adjustment.

Amazon Dot doesn’t feature a battery, and you might have to keep the thing charged all the time. It charges via micro-USB, as opposed to a bespoke plug.

Features

Though petite, the Dot can perform the complex function as its sibling. It always listens to you unless you press the mute button.

Like the original Echo, Amazon Echo Dot is also designed to control various smart appliances in your home. Here a list of thing the Amazon dot is capable of.

Change music on Spotify

Order a takeaway meal from the restaurant you prefer

Control the lights of your home

The Amazon Dot can recognize your voice even if you are talking from the next room. Impressive isn’t it.

It also features what Amazon calls ESP (Echo Spatial Perception) feature. If you have multiple devices around you, the nearest one will respond. Meaning, you won’t have different devices communicating with you at a time.

With the Echo Dot, you can shop by voice if you have a prime account. Once I tried to purchase a microwave using the Echo Dot, Alexa told me that I need an Amazon Prime account. I didn’t have an account so I couldn’t get the deal closed, but she added a micro wave to my shopping list. How cool is that!

Sound Quality

The Amazon Echo features a compact design, and the built-in speakers are small. You can use it for general conversation with Alexa, but I wouldn’t prefer playing music with it. The sound is thin, and there is no bass boost to let you enjoy the music to the fullest. However, you can connect it with other speakers to get quality sound.

Why Amazon Dot?

Personally, I think the Echo Dot is much better than the original Echo. It is capable of performing every function as its elder brother but offers great versatility in the context of price and design. The response to the voice command is similar, and it can be adjusted anywhere in your room. The one-third price might also inspire you to install multiple Dots in your home because having multiple devices in different rooms is always better than having a single expensive device in your room.